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If you feel like your heart skips a beat, you’re not alone. Heart palpitations are common, and usually nothing to be concerned about.
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The best way to figure out if you should see a health care provider is to monitor your palpitations. If they’re frequent and long in duration, it’s time to seek help.
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Providence cardiologists can help determine whether you have an abnormal heart rhythm that needs to be fixed.
Heart skipping beats: Causes, symptoms and when to worry
Have you ever felt like your heart missed a beat? This is called a heart palpitation, and while it’s usually no cause for concern, it could also mean you have a serious condition that needs to be treated. Here, we explain how you can tell when a missed heartbeat could be serious.
Understanding heart palpitations
Your heart usually beats about 60 to 100 times per minute. If you exercise regularly or take certain medications, your resting heartbeat may drop below 60 beats per minute. If your resting heartbeat is above 100 beats per minute, that could indicate a heart rhythm problem.
Your heart skipping a beat is not always caused by a heart problem or condition. In fact, palpitations can be triggered by physical activity, certain foods, medicines or your emotions.
Some common triggers can include:
- Having too much caffeine, alcohol or tobacco
- Eating too much chocolate
- Stress or anxiety
- Fatigue
- Overexertion
- Fever
- Low potassium
- Low blood sugar
- Dehydration
- An overactive thyroid gland
- Low blood pressure
- Hormone changes caused by pregnancy, menstruation or menopause
- Certain medicines, such as thyroid treatments, asthma medication or cold medicine
On the other hand, if the palpitation is caused by something in your heart, it could be a premature contraction or an arrhythmia.
What heart palpitations feel like
When your heart feels like it skips a beat, it can lead to several different sensations:
- Pounding – You feel like your heart is pounding in your chest.
- Racing – Your heart is beating much faster than normal.
- Flutter – It almost feels like there are birds or butterflies in your chest.
“You may feel like there is a slightly longer period of time before your next heartbeat kicks in,” says James Beckerman, M.D., a Providence cardiologist who sees patients in Portland, Oregon. “The earlier heartbeat can arise from the top or the bottom of your heart.”
When heart palpitations are normal
If a heart palpitation only occurs every once in a while and lasts only a few seconds, you don’t need to worry about it.
Harmless palpitations include those that happen when you’re feeling anxious, or when you’ve just consumed caffeine, alcohol or spicy food.
When to worry about heart palpitations
The key to telling the difference between normal palpitations and ones that are worrisome, says Dr. Beckerman, is determining whether your heart is skipping beats constantly.
“If you are experiencing a sensation of palpitations that lasts a long time,” he says, “is associated with a fast heart rate or low blood pressure, or causes you to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness, you should seek medical attention.”
Monitoring and tracking heart palpitations
When you meet with your doctor about potential causes of heart palpitations, be sure to explain how long they have been going on, what they feel like and any other symptoms you have. Your doctor will likely have you:
- Undergo blood tests to check whether the palpitations are caused by something other than the heart, such as thyroid problems.
- Do an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG), which checks the electrical signals in your heart to make sure it is functioning correctly.
- Wear a Holter monitor for a few days to track your heart rhythm while you’re at home following a normal routine. This gives your health care professionals a recording of your heart’s electrical activity. They may also ask you to keep a log of your activities and symptoms, then compare your log with your heart’s electrical activity.
Having frequent heart palpitations? Find a doctor now
If your heart palpitations look more like the “worrisome” palpitations above than the “normal” ones, it’s time to see a cardiologist and undergo testing for heart disease. They may be able to help you stop or reduce the instances of your heart skipping a beat by recommending some lifestyle changes, such as:
- Reducing your caffeine intake
- Managing your stress and anxiety
- Establishing a regular sleep schedule
- Exercising regularly
If the tests show that your heart palpitations are caused by a heart condition, like an irregular heartbeat (also known as an arrhythmia), you will need treatment to correct that condition.
Find a Providence cardiologist near you.
Contributing caregiver
James Beckerman, M.D., is a Providence cardiologist who sees patients in Portland, Oregon.
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Related resources
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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.
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